The Sea-ME-We 4 undersea cable, which broke down in the Mediterranean Sea last week, is unlikely to be repaired for another week, according to UAE telco Etisalat. The operator said in a statement that the cable would most likely be repaired by April 27, with the repair ship due to arrive at the location on April 24.

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Etisalat said that it had added alternative marine cable routes over the last two days, which had “significantly enhanced the Internet streaming services such as Youtube site access.”

The operator added that customers “did not face major slowdowns in Internet browsing” following the breakdown of the Sea-ME-We 4 cable as it was able to make use of alternative capacity on other cable links. However, Etisalat was forced to prioritise business customers at the expense of home users, leaving some residents complaining of disruptions to websites such as Youtube.